Don Winslow draws his phenomenal career as a crime novelist to a close with “City in Ruins,” a fine endcap to his Danny Ryan trilogy (“City on Fire” / “City of Dreams“), which has traced his tumultuous, bloody and tragic journey from Rhode Island hoodlum to Las Vegas casino magnate.
Part of me wonders—how truly epic could this expansive, decades-spanning story have been if Winslow had contained it to a single volume? I’ve enjoyed each one individually, but make no mistake, there are a lot of characters to keep track of, and there’s a fair bit of back-treading to get readers up to speed. And while Winslow has made each of these installments stand alone, like any trilogy, you won’t want to begin with the finale. You’ll still get a complete story if you do, but you’ll be missing out on so much of the finer subtext, without which the characters can feel archetypal, when really, they’re anything but.
“City in Ruins” introduces us to a very different Danny Ryan. Using illicitly obtained funds, he invested in two major properties on the Strip, turned them into major successes, and has plans for a third: a dream hotel called Il Songo, the absolute pinnacle of his newfound ambitions. He’s not quite gone straight, but definitely straighter. Still haunted by his lost loves, but thriving nonetheless. This is his time.
But the past has a habit of sticking.
When Danny undermines fellow Vegas bigwig Vern Winegard, he sets off a chain of events whose endgame can only be mutually assured destruction. Danny survived a similar situation back in series-starter “City on Fire,” which forced him out of Rhode Island. This time the stakes are higher, and he has a lot more to lose.
Winslow’s truncated, clipped style makes “City in Ruins” almost impossible to put down. Many writers have tried to emulate his terse prose; few have made it into art. I’m sad this is the end, because he’s still writing at the top of his game. But maybe that’s the point—leave while the audience will miss you. I sure will.
Written By Sime 